house resolution 676

I'm guessing most of you have already seen this. but if you haven't then click on this link to send a message to your US representatives to tell them to support the bill for universal health care.

The grid has been energized

I learned about FTG only about a week in advance. However, I did my best to spread the word.

The idea and energy behind Fire The Grid were and are exciting to me. I went into it with no expecations and yet, unimaginable expectations. That is, i hoped for a supernatural experience as percieved by my everyday senses, to communicate with the beings that communicate with Shelley, perhaps?, who knows, but didn't want to be too disappointed if nothing happened. Here on the west coast of the US, the time for firing the grid was 4:11am. I was up by 3:50.

I'm not an experienced meditator, but that is how we passed the hour, by meditation. We didn't listen to Bradfield, although I had downloaded it a few days prior. I had a really hard time emptying and "stilling" my mind. I thought about sending positive vibrations and energy into the ground, into the core of the planet. I thought about doubts and fears of what if this collective intention somehow backfires and does damage because we don't really know what we're messing with, and then that those kinds of negative thoughts are the ones that need to be banished. I thought about all the people I know and love. I thought about the oneness of all things, about how we share the same dna as plants. I thought about what could be, if only... I thought about our little project Corvallis Open Forum and whether it could become a part of mainstream culture...interspersed with trying to simply still the mind. I thought about Wayne Dyer and Ilchi Lee and other visionaries like Marianne Williamson and Barbara Marx Hubbard, and whether they were participating. And I wondered what my wife was thinking, or experiencing.

Nothing supernatural happened. I went back to bed after 5:11 sleepy and tired. I didn't feel energized, personally. In fact the whole rest of the week I felt tired. We celebrated a birthday, worked and watched korean tv on the internet as usual. I checked my blog and emailed as usual. I checked the global consciousness project to see if anything registered there, but couldn't find anything. A summer rainstorm settled in for the week.

On the upside, the next day, Sunday, we went to the coast and I caught some the best waves surfing that I ever have. It was perfect being back in the lineup (where the swells just begin to break) riding the rhythm of the ocean, in the primordial element, water, enveloped and yet a distinct part of the great singularity. Yesterdays (7/21) Corvallis Open Forum was well attended and included a number of new speakers, and this year's DaVinci Days festival has been a beautiful, inspiring event.

I'm finally getting around to checking out what has happened since. And whether project cause has been "launched", etc.

I'm very curious to know about other's experience.

I should close by saying that even though my greatest expectations were not met during the fire the grid moment, I'm nevertheless committed to creating a better world, one where everyone has a seat at the table, where everyone is taken care of, as in the tribal mentality that Shelley spoke of. And I realize that its going to take a lot of effort and change for that to happen. I also realize that the mainstream is reluctant to change, especially when it comes to consumption patterns, which i see as a large part of the problem. I am also cognizant of the colossal powers that be and have no illusions that the current rulers of our society have not only the means but also the motivation to crush any kind of people's movement.
Having said this, I believe in our collective capacity for creativity to pull off the necessary changes, the mechanisms, as it were, for the transformation to happen peacefully and quickly.

In peace and solidarity I submit this testimony.

Simultaneous Meditation, Healing

my friend dan sent this along and it looks interesting. if you have a free hour, as i'm sure you do, at 4:11am pacific time (11:11 greenwich mean time) on the 17th of july, then take an hour to contribute to the healing of the planet.

check out the website
http://www.firethegrid.org/eng/home-fr-eng.htm

the way i see it, its kind of like the scam about bill gates giving you 10G for forwarding to everyone on your email list, only its not a scam its positive, possible, and you've got nothing to lose. i do think its possible and as you can tell from my link list, wherein i have linked to the global consciousness project, i'm not coming at this lightly.

what's an hour for real global healing?

lets do it!!

family ties

i received an email from my cousin recently who is also struggling with disgust with the status quo and the challenge of affecting real social change.

i wondered earlier about the mystery of the People's lack of outrage, he replied questioning the existence of democracy and whether people believe it does anymore. indeed, the (il)logic of this blatant fact is readily apparent. i say illogic because to any rational person it doesn't seem logical.

"if there is a democracy, then why would there be a social elite? why would the top 1% of our country control a third of our national wealth, and the top 10% control over 70% of all disposable income? the thing is, to me it all comes down to money..."

Absolutely. it doesn't have to be this way is our point and that of many others. us bottom feeders can simply rise up and claim our slice of the pie, at least for our own healthcare. i'm really interested to see what happens post "sicko".

-

and when people are so busy just trying to make it through another day, they just don't seem to have time, energy, much less the knowledge, to start making some changes - because with each new change comes another period of instability that must one must get used to, at least until it stabilizes.

yes, after working our ass off all day, the last thing we want to do is educate ourselves about the world we live in. if its not tv then its beer, liquor, name your addiction. i think we can minimize the instability by careful, "faith"ful planning. We need to ask ourselves, what are we working so damn hard for?

Cousin goes on to illustrate the seeming impossibility of changing the system without a massive collapse. i think that's why it needs to be a numbers game. it simply won't happen without enough people. but thats going to require a lot of people waking up and smelling the coffee. The movements typified by MLK and Gandhi still represent a positive step, imho.

coincidentally, i'm reading a fantastic book... by howard zinn, a people's history of the united states: 1492 - present, that, if accurate in its accounts, reveals our country's history to be very different from the way it has been taught to us from a young age. much more importantly, though i can't say for certain, not having finished the book, but if our origin is truly different from the way we believed it to be, then the chances of our country functioning like we believe it to be is very slim as well.

first of all, that not a coincidence at all. this book is a milestone in my personal "awakening". and lets face it, you don't just stumble onto h. zinn. i think we're on the right path. if memory serves me, zinn wraps up the book on a very hopeful note, which i hope you'll get to soon. maybe i got this from him, but as long as we have the... hallucination (call it what you will) that the country is founded on the lofty ideals we've been taught, then we still have ground to stand on. Indeed, i think our best bet is to wrap ourselves in the constitution, the declaration of independence and yes, the flag, to create not only a better nation, but a better world.

I'm trying to protect your identity, so i edited alot, but its really good to know we're not alone. thanks for a great email.

sicko

go watch this movie. we just watched it and i think it is high time we have universal, free health care, just like canada, britain, france and yes, cuba.

this is not a new position for me, but hopefully it will be for many many americans.

reclaiming our sovereignty

national initiative for democracy

did a quick net search on mike gravel after seeing him on the pbs debate of a few days ago, and ended up at this project/proposal. i think its a brilliant idea and i hope it works.

check it out.

osu/corvallis nuke

another article from tom

Nevin, K.S., OSU's "Nuke" a Local Cause for Concern, Corvallis
Gazette-Times, 7'3'07.
http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2007/07/03/news/opinion/6edi02_nevin0703.prt 

I've visited the reactor before in a science class. Everyone i've spoke with says "trust me" its very safe. well, i'm no nuclear physicist, so i guess i'll take their word for it. right? WRONG!

its bullshit that insurance companies will not cover damages due to a nuclear incident.

if its so safe then why is our local law enforcement practicing for some such event?

the only absolute guarantee to be safe around this stuff is to shut it down.

i wrote a letter to the barometer many years ago describing how vulnerable the building is to an attack. if you drive by it on 35th you will see what i mean. a couple chainlink fences, one with barbed wire. yeah, like that's going to stop someone with nefarious plans. give me a break. barometer never printed the letter.

anyone know the history of how the reactor came to be?

living so close to the damn thing, i'd absolutely rather it not be there at all. lets get rid of it and put up one of those giant wind turbines. we might not have the greatest wind resource, but we have SOME wind resource that we waste all the time.

and whats the deal with the new energy center?

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right to free speech

some passersby at the forum mentioned that speech calling for the overthrow of the government is not protected by the first amendment, is this true? didn't jefferson say that it is the people's responsibility to create a new government if the present one isn't working on their behalf?

libby granted royal mercy

who am i to question the almighty emperor of the world?

well, for starters i'm a citizen of this country and if this isn't proof positive that the system is broke, that the country is run by a bunch of good ol boys who have a very narrow definition of "we" which certainly doesn't include the lot of us, i don't know what is.

meanwhile, the people who leaked v.plame's identity are still doing their thing. plotting to take over the world. and i'm not exaggerating or kidding. that's precisely what they're doing. i don't blame them. the fact is, the opportunity is theirs for the taking, thanks to a somnabulent population of sheeple and a brainwashed base. but that doesn't make it right. america has become an empire ruled by elites in which there is a guise of democracy. america has veered off course and it is up to We the people to correct our collective course. where is the rule of law?

impeach bush now

michael moore on NOW

the "must see tv" link in my list will take you to the NOW website. this past week, Brancaccio interviewed Moore. This episode is a great example of why i call it must see tv. Moore is brilliant. say what you want about him, but imho, he nails it on the head.

America has a "me" mentality, whereas just about every other civilized nation, the people have a "we" mentality.

i can't wait to see sicko. even if i have to give carmike my money.

bill moyers journal was excellent this week as well.

excellent article for all average joes and janes

http://www.tompaine.com/print/taming_corporations_gone_wild.php

thanks again to tom for the link.

please read this article and do something to express your thoughts.

by posting on my blog i assume my agreement with it is understood.

the following is my comment in response to a series of comments at dan's blog. a person called blamin insists that it is impossible to feed the world using organic farming.

of course we could feed the world organically and less chemically (petroleum) intensively! it can be done and it will be done.

all we need to do is focus our society's energy on replacing the drug of choice, up til now petroleum, with a new drug, a new energy source. or perhaps our original energy source, the sun.

considering the advances in technology that we've seen in just the last twenty years, can you have any doubt that if we tried, as in man-on-the-moon type tried, we could become 100% renewably powered in twenty years? i know we can do it if we try. getting "us" to try is another story.

it seems to me that what we have now are fat cats milking obsolete resources dry and are delaying the inevitable at the public's expense. in terms of energy and in terms of organic farming. i don't blame them, the fat cats, that is. i mean afterall, they have the implicit consent of a frantic, paranoid, sleazy, cheesy, shopaholic, clueless population of the governed. and they have the ability. wouldn't you do the same? freedom for everyone, especially the ones with the most money and power to forever increase their share of the money and power!
(yes i'm being sarcastic)

is there any argument that industry lobbyists literally write legislation (ie, how to grab taxpayer money and/or re-write the laws to benefit them and their friends) in our US Congress?


blamin, we can try, indeed. i totally agree that having all the answers is not a worthy goal for me, or society. but we have to sort the wheat from the chaff. we must decide for ourselves as a society, many issues of immediate consequence in countless lives around the world. i don't grant the bush administration one ounce of credibility. the great w, bush II, emperor of babylon, why should i? after being lied to so many times, there comes a point that you don't take seriously anything that comes out of his mouth.

how can peace overcome war?

or perhaps more appropriately, how can the peace movement overcome the war establishment? the peace movement is a relatively dispersed diaspora whereas the war establishment is just that, firmly established in the world, in terms of infrastructure: buildings, plants, equipment, weapons, and of course the personnel and money. how many people's livelihoods does it really support?

but more in general, how does a non-violent society prevail over a violent one? its no surprise what the result will be when a conflict becomes escalated. the violent become violent and people die. the fact that the peace movement even exists is a victory worth celebrating considering the history of our great nation!

of course our strength lies in our numbers. i'd like to see a poll of americans who actually love war. who relish and delight in death, pain and misery.

war doesn't just happen. in this day and age, one person's decision can set into motion a mighty army of cabinet appointees, generals, lawyers, corporate executives and their legions, and an army of volunteer patriot soldiers who seem to be getting tricked into thinking that their sacrifice will guarantee membership in the club, or at the very least the best healthcare that the richest nation in the world is capable of.

thinking in terms of the eons that have passed in which humans have slaughtered each other, do we really have any hope of creating a lasting peace? sure, why not? having hope is as simple a choice you can make, either you decide to have it or you don't. but i really feel that considering all that people have thought up, in terms of technology and democracy, in particular, there is every reason to expect that humanity can begin an age in which war ceases to exist. we have proven ourselves to be a very capable species. lets focus now.

first solar dish of the season

well, its that time again folks! time to break out the solar oven and use the sun's rays to cook. since the solar oven is essentially a low(ish) temperature slow cooker, we're making chili (again). i keep saying one of these days i'll bake something, but so far it hasn't happened yet. i better go out and see if the angle is right.

maybe i'll even post a picture if i'm really industrious!

gas prices

last i saw, and i'm sure all of you are award, a gallon of regular unleaded is going for around $3.30
my last fill up set a new record of ~$40.
however, as much as is pains me to have to buy gas, i have mixed feelings about it. on the one hand, the big oil companies report record profits every quarter! clearly, they are making a killing by jacking up prices on us, the consumer. its obscene, grotesque and outrageous.

on the other hand, we still aren't paying nearly the true cost of a gallon of gas. our government subsidizes the oil companies, directly and indirectly, such as not charging for royalties that anyone with a brain knows are rightfully owed to the taxpayers. furthermore, there are the externalities of resource wars, climate change, and pollution that are incurred everytime we fill up, but we pass the cost on to future generations.

if oil executives weren't making record profits, i don't think i'd mind the high prices. in other words, if the price at the pump reflected the true cost of oil "production" and consumption, i wouldn't be so apt to complain about paying more, but would still try to reduce my demand for the good. which is another dilemma, because the more people reduce their demand for oil, the more the price will likely fall, encouraging the real gas guzzlers in society who don't give a damn, more ability to continue on guzzling.

doom and gloom at the cof

people are convinced that civilization is close to a crash at the cof. i'm not hearing any good solutions, other than to re-localize. i have to agree, that things don't look very encouraging at this point in time, but (again) i still cling to hope. what do i mean by that? i mean, i believe that humans are not only capable of a paradigm shift but are also not far from it, and that change can lead to a world presently unimaginable.

its just another choice, my belief in these possibilities. i know the odds aren't really in our favor, but what is the option? to believe in a future where the usa continues on being a totalitarian empire, subjugating the people of the world and taking their resources, creating endless wars and genocide, polluting the biosphere and driving its species into extinction and finally a dismal and meaningless end scenario in which the us nukes all other people and itself off the planet effectively ending all life except for cockroaches and bacteria and a bunker full of republicans? The fact is no one knows absolutely what the future holds. indeed by definition the future is only possibilities.

how do we steer the juggernaut around? how do we change it? how do we change it non-violently? we have the capability, all we have to do is discover it.

why the usa is #1

a friend of mine passed this article around and i thought i'd share it here. the only way to change this juggernaut of excessive death is by the People. its time to wake up.

Thanks Tom and thank you Frida

Berrigan, F., We're #1, TomDispatch.com, 5/20/07.
http://www.tomdispatch.com/indexprint.mhtml?pid=196017

keep witham wild

i just recieved an email describing the effort to save witham oaks.

check out the website www.keepwithamwild.net

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nina's questions for all

my blogging buddy nina posed the following questions

1) what kind of a world do you wish to see?
2) what kind of a government do you wish to see?
3) what do you value?
4) what would you like to see change?
5) what steps are you willing to take to make these changes?
6) what are you willing to risk (if anything)?

i'm going to attempt an abbreviated version, but these are some serious questions. essential questions that everyone needs to establish for themselves in a democracy.

1) i wish to see a world where people learn to live together so beautifully and interactively that population centers actually grow more dense and natural ecosystems are restored. i wish for the world to begin to purify itself and process centuries of waste. i wish to see a world where most people don't suffer most of the time. i wish for a great awakening event which starts a new era for humanity, one of untold possibilities.

2)i wish to see a government that does what its supposed to do. that is, protect the people and the environment, provide for education, food and housing, transportation and create a situation where everyone can be who they are, divine creations in the universe.

3)i value good food. thoughtful arguments. i value peace, joy and love, understanding, hope, patience, quality, beauty, nature, people, diversity, logic and reason as well as emotion. i value the almighty dollar for what it is, the means of exchange in our society, but i also value our local currency, the hour. i value truth, justice and liberty, fairness, kindness and honesty.
theres more, but i'll move on.

4)the change i would like to see is a revolt against isolation by a reconvergence. i would like to see people just gather, like the be-ins of the late 60s. the change i would like to see is a crash in the stock market but ordinary people living fine. the change i would like to see is replacing the profit motive in capitalism with sustainability. the change i would like to see is working people organizing and demanding their fair share and making food shelter and clothing, health care and education universal human rights. i want to see the culture of money and power grabbing suddenly stop and become one of generosity and giving.

5)i'm willing to take any steps necessary to make these changes, but it won't happen because of one person, it seems like an all or nothing situation. but i'm willing to take any steps, honestly, that don't jepoardize my job, or my relationship with my wife. yes, i am a slave to the system. which leads into

6)yes, i don't think i want to risk my job or my wife for any social change. i would hope that my job and my family would encourage me to do something for change and they do, but in the event that it was one or the other, the argument would have to be pretty darn convincing.

great questions nina, i'm going to post this on my blog.

The war is all about oil and profit for 21st century kings and queens

Well, they finally made it explicit. They finally "admitted" the generally understood reason for being there. My question to you family, is are you willing to sit quietly while the government sacrifices American lives for your petroleum addiction? My answer is clearly no. We must make this point known. Now is a time to raise our voices. Please read this article and help put an end to the American war machine once and for all.

Tim

ps thanks d.crall for the link

Kucinich Reveals Dem Funding Bill Includes Privatization of Iraq Oil & Carte Blanche to Invade Iran By June Caldwell, American Chronicle, May 6, 2007 http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=26308

In a meeting with the West Los Angeles Democratic Club on Saturday, May 5, Presidential candidate and Ohio Congress Representative Dennis Kucinich revealed that the Democrats in Congress had made some secret concessions to the Republicans in the initial Bill to continue funding the Iraq War that was vetoed, and in a subsequent version that is currently being negotiated. They include:

>Privatization of Iraq's Oil – in the original Bill, but not shared with the public. A rule was created that said this clause could not be removed during debate on House floor.

>Bush could invade Iran without approval of Congress. A clause that would require him to get approval from Congress first was removed.

>Timetable for troop withdrawal from Iraq to be removed from Bill (in post-veto version).

The clause that Iraq must privatize ownership of its oil was in the original Bill presented by Congress, although it was not mentioned publicly. It was stated as a benchmark to be met by Iraq, and if it was not met, the US would withdraw troops and refuse to offer peacekeeping troops to help rebuild the country. That means the Iraqis would not own their own oil, but instead International oil companies, primarily US oil companies, would instead divide ownership of the oil.

This seems to reaffirm the worst possible scenario that the war in Iraq not only was built upon lies, but was solely for the purpose of destroying their country so the big US oil companies can own their oil. These same oil companies are still resolute about keeping the oil prices high at the pumps for US citizens (while refraining refinery capacity), so that they alone retain record-breaking profits. Kucinich explained he requested on the Congress floor that clause be removed from the Bill, and was finally assured it would be. He found it was not, and again demanded it be removed, and was then accused of 'not being a loyal Democrat'.

Kucinich went on to explain that last November, the citizens of the US voted for a 'change of direction in Iraq' but as of yet have only gotten a bait and switch.

Tim Kijoo Nam
Corvallis, OR
tkn317071@yahoo.com
http://timsbloggo.blogspot.com/
"We are discussing no small matter, but how we ought to live." -Socrates

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